Ridgecrest Camps

We have broken ground on the new addition to Spilman Lodge! (Click on the picture to the right to see what it will look like.) We are excited about a 24′x18′ expansion going onto the Choctaw Arapaho side of the Dining Hall. This new room will give us more dining space which will be crucial with the addition of a few new cabins. There will also be an 11′ cover front porch that will stretch the length of the building. The porch will be covered with a green metal roof, with traditional log spindals used for the railings. This front porch will be wide enough for additional rocking chairs for campers to hang out and enjoy their free time! With a little help from a local architect, we believe that this addition to Spilman will be a definite improvement that we can all be proud of. This project should be compete within the month, so check back often to see pictures!

So we have had a few roads around camp that needed constant attention. Marty (sometimes mistaken for Jack Bauer) would be on his tractor weekly scraping the roads and keeping everything smooth. But never the less, there would be some rough spots. I recall hitting my head on the roof of a camp truck a few times b/c the roads were so bumpy, and at least one of those times Ron was driving…

In an effort to prevent major problems in the future, we have paved a strip of road leading up the hill towards TBI and the old infirmary…just up that first hill. We also paved the driveway and parking area around the Chapel. These minor additions look great and should make it a little easier to get around camp!

This ws just a short strip to the top of the hill…the main problem area. The rest if still gravel and works fine!

A lot has happened here at camp since the last post…which was less than a week ago!  The floors are finished, with the exception of one Choctaw cabin, and now the framing has started.  Right now, only two cabins have the walls up, but it seems that every time we blink something else gets completed.  Below you can see the progress of the new staff cabin on Chipp/Chick hill.  Even Oj is interested in the construction process.

Keep looking staff and you’ll get an inside view of what the new cabin looks like…literally.  You can see the spaces on either side of the cabin where the showers and toliets will be placed.  That’s right, plural.  There will be two showers and two toliets, with a nice vanity mirror in the middle.  We’re living the high life now!  You can also see the porch, which will be covered when all is said and done.

Here’s some pics of the framing going up on one of the new Choctaw cabins.

Before any of us know it, it’ll be summer and all you campers and staff will be here experiencing the cabins for yourselves.  But until then, keep checking back for new pictures.

The cabin floors are almost finished!  As of yesterday, they were half way done on the last Choctaw and new Cherokee cabin.  Due to the rain today, I’m sure they will finish tomorrow.  Abby and I took quite a few pictures, so bear with us!  If you would like to see the pictures full size, simply click on the picture!

You can see in the last picture what the hill looks like in the fall and that without the leaves you can see much farther.

The first picture of the new Cherokee cabin was taken from outside the old Cheyenne bath house which will be turned into a staff cabin.  The next picture was taken coming down the road to Cherokee hill.

Abby and I decided to take a nap in the new Chickasaw cabin to show all you Chickasaws where you may be sleeping this summer!  We also wanted to show you what the lake looks like in the fall.  As you can see, there is no water, but look how much you can see behind the trees.

We were finally able to upload a video!  Click HERE to check out Cheyenne and Choctaw hill and be sure to listen for the beautiful sound of hammering in the background!

We are hoping to have pictures posted next week as they start on the new Bear Trap.  Thanks for joining with us on this endeavor, please continue to pray for us as we continue to move forward!

As you can see above, the crew is moving fast with the construction.  As of this afternoon, one cabin (the Chipp/Chick staff cabin) had the floor completely done and another (the Chick cabin) was well under way.  If it doesn’t rain the next few days (as is forcasted) then all the new cabins should have finished floors by the end of the week!

The cabins are definitely coming along fast.  This morning the concrete truck arrived once again.  The columns have been finished on all the cabins and now it’s time to have more concrete poured into them.  We’re adding as much stability as possible because we know all the crazy antics that go on inside the cabins!  Here you can see the concete being poured into the Chipp/Chick cabin:

And here’s what it looks like on the other two hills:

Next week, the framing of the cabins should begin.  I wish everyone could be here to see it happening in person.  Since that isn’t the case though, keep checking back for updates.  We’re doing our best here at camp to document as much as possible!

Back when I was an Apache we didn’t have the new fancy Apache bathhouse. Our old bathhouse was in the bottom half the two story Apache Cabin…connected to Cabin 3. Well, Marty has spent weeks renovating this old bathhouse. He is turning it into a brand new Staff Cabin. The Apache TL and a few other Central Staffers will be the first to live in the cabin with new walls and a new ceiling. They will be living in perhaps the nicest bedroom in camp. Although it’s still a construction zone, you can see Marty’s project is coming together! We have a few more buildings breaking ground soon. Be sure to check back for those pictures.

I have also posted here a picture showing the progress on the new Shawnee Cabin! They have the pillars finished and they are in the process of filling them with concrete. The floors system will start going in tomorrow! Things are moving along…and should be ready for you this summer! More details and pictures coming soon…

The ground has been cleared, footer holes dug and now in goes the concrete. Below are pictures of the staff cabin on Chipp/Chick hill with finished footers poured!                      

After seeing how well things were going at this cabin, we walked on over to Cheyenne/Choctaw hill to see if we could witness the concrete actually being poured.  We were in luck, and the construction crew even let Sharon get in on the action!  Here is Sharon’s ready stance:

          Wait for it…here comes the concrete:  

Good job Sharon!  Now she can add construction work to the list of her many talents!

Columns have also begun to pop up.  Only one cabin has them so far, but by the end of the week, weather permitting, all of the block columns should be in place.  Here is a picture of the staff cabin with a few columns.

          Abby got a closer look for inspection.

I hope you’re as excited as we are to see the progress.  Keep checking back to see all the action!

We started pouring concrete footers for the New Cabins yesterday! Ron got in on the action, getting down and dirty to make sure the New Cabin on Shawnee Hill is just right. That’s right, if you are a 2nd year Shawnee, then you may get the chance to be in a brand new cabin. What will be different? Well, the biggest change will be that you will have a covered porch and a metal roof! It’s been cool to see dump trucks, cement trucks, and all kinds of equipment rolling around camp. Lots of cool stuff is happening! I’m excited for you all to see it when you show up this summer!

It won’t be long and we’ll be starting on the Spilman Lodge (Dining Hall) addition! We currently have an architect putting some final updates on the plans, and then we’re off and running! Within a few weeks, we’ll be pouring more footers. I think you’ll love this new addition! It will give you a new covered porch on the front of Spilman, with more places to hang out and enjoy the rocking chairs. Plus, we hope to add a new Foosball Table area, and of course a little more eating room in the Choctaw/Arap side of the Dining Hall.

I’ve noticed how much time the Contractor puts into the foundations of these buildings. They have to be inspected multiple times, and everything has to be just right. If the foundation of any building isn’t rock solid, then it’s sure to fall. I can’t help but think about my life and how I follow Jesus. If the foundations of my faith aren’t strong, if I don’t know what I believe or why I believe it, then my faith probably won’t withstand the hard stuff in life. So, what do we do about it? Keep running after Jesus, and do what we can to know him more. The more you know Jesus, the stronger your foundation will be. Real Life, the “good stuff,” is found when following Jesus.

Well, thats all for now, but check back soon for more pictures and updates. Be sure to Subscribe to this blog to the right… See you soon…

The construction crew is moving right along and staying busy.  At this point, the huts have been cleared, exact cabin measurements and placement have been marked, and the holes for the footers have been dug.  Within the next day or two, they will pour the footers.

As you can see above, the Village Director huts have been torn down to be replaced by camper cabins and a staff cabin.

The yellow strings indicate the size and height of the cabin.  The wood also marks off the site of the cabin.  The last picture was taken from the bottom of Choctaw hill looking up at where the new cabins will be.

The new cabins will be 18×30 plus a 10 ft. covered porch.  To give you a better idea, they will be the same size as a Chippewa cabin.  The good news is that eventually all the existing cabins will be this size and have covered porches.  That is something to look forward to for all you Cheyennes and Choctaws!

Keep checking back for more updates and pictures!